Entobian
Entobians are a small race of insect people that spend most of their lives as bipedal larvae, looking somewhat like an upright walking caterpillar. They come in all colors and varieties, literally and figuratively. Perhaps the strangest trait of these already unusual creatures is how human they actually seem under their buggy visages. Despite their incredibly alien anatomy, they are prone to familiar dispositions, friendly demeanors, and values common to mankind. In addition, entobians are attracted to all walks of life. They harbor no favorite class or profession, instead going where their desires take them. Many entobians are hedonistic, wanting to get the most out of life’s pleasures. Others thirst for high adventure, wanting a taste of every new experience. Most are a combination of the two. With experience comes opportunity. Higher level entobians can undergo a metamorphosis that will change their appearance and abilities forever. Physical Description Perhaps the oddest looking of available PC classes, larval entobians, also known as “larvites,” can be likened to vaguely upright walking caterpillars with thin and elongated limbs. All entobians have six limbs; two arms and legs like most other humanoids, and a pair of mid-legs. Their arms end in three digit hands and their legs end in two clawed toes. An entobian’s mid-legs aid in attack, balance, movement, and object manipulation, though these appendages end only in very sharp points. While these limbs are sheathed in rubbery chitin, the larvite’s body is fleshy and covered in coarse hair. The limbs and eyes of a larvite are almost universally darker than the body, while their body color, hair color and hair distribution varies greatly from individual to individual. Body and hair color is usually bright and unnatural, sometimes even fluorescent in hue. Hair distribution can be sparse, thick, or varied in density; sometimes creating wild looking “hair styles.” Patterns of stripes and spots are also quite common. Any color or combination is possible. Larvites have silk glands on their lower abdomen that appear as a small pouch-like protrusion. Entobians exude an earthy smell that many compare to dying flowers; not terribly unpleasant, but not entirely desirable either. Their bristle-like hair often causes those of mammalian backgrounds to have mild contact allergies with it. An entobian who washes regularly can alleviate both of these issues. Ecology & Society Larvites are sexually immature, and most remain in this state their entire lives. Reproduction happens with only the most experienced entobians who decide to undergo metamorphosis (by taking a metamorphosis feat at higher levels). Until then, the larvite is effectively genderless, though most are considered male because of their deep and resonating voices. Larvites hatch from a clutch of roughly 200 marble-sized eggs of various colors. They grow from Diminutive caterpillars to Small-sized larvite children in about 6 weeks, eating practically constantly during this time. Larvites are omnivorous; they eat anything. By restricting their diet, and through intense meditation, they can choose when and what they metamorphosis into, provided they have endured enough trials and tribulations beforehand. Larvite children, identical to larvite adults in appearance, generally reach emotional and social maturity in about 14 years. Entobians live about a decade longer than humans on average. While most entobians never gain the ability to lay eggs—only the highest level entobians can—when they do, they can have thousands of children in their lifetime. The origin of the entobians is speculated to be the result of environmental contamination from an arcane waste produced by a particularly reclusive race of insectoid creatures that live in deep underground hives. Of what little is known of this race, there is much evidence that they are experimenting on creatures by implanting their own biological components, creating deadly insect hybrids. A byproduct of this partially alchemical process is a purplish goo that is disposed of in great quantity into an underground river. This river eventually leads to the surface and into a fertile valley. There, insect life absorbed the waste and became fundamentally altered, all producing tens of thousands of offspring which became the first larvites. According to elves’ memory of the event, the first larvites were only about one-foot tall. Category:Humanoids